The present invention generally relates to light weight article carriers frequently used, for example, as book bags by school children for carrying papers and notes between the teacher and/or school and the parents, books, gym clothes and shoes, and a packed lunch to and from school each day. More particularly, it relates to a new and improved backpack, book bag or other carrier having at least one molded, protective, three-dimensional character panel incorporated therein and positioned on the carrier and constructed so as to provide the combined advantages of a desired distinctive physical appearance and shock absorbing protection for the articles placed in the carriers in use.
Backpack-style book bags have increased in popularity in recent years as a convenient method for younger school children to carry a snack and their lunch, their gym shoes and various papers and books as necessary each day. More often than not, a backpack book carrier is now listed as a required back-to-school supply item in most school districts. As a result the number of styles, sizes, colors and shapes of backpack book bags for the back-to-school market has increased dramatically in the last few years. The market size is easily over 10 million dollars each year for these products. Competition between manufacturers for increased market share is especially intense. Manufacturers frequently rely heavily on distinctive visual images or copyrighted character licenses to help them gain a competitive edge for their annual backpack and other carrier offerings. Usually the licensed copyrighted characters are more important from the marketing standpoint than the actual construction or materials from which the carriers are made.
In the past, copyrighted licensed characters such as for example super heroes from comic strips such as Superman.RTM. or Batman.RTM., Cabbage Patch Kids.RTM., or television and movie personalities such as for example the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.RTM. have been employed in the marketing of back-to-school backpack and other carriers by applying visual graphic images of these characters onto surface panels of the carriers through silk screening, sewn fabric patches, or other methods of application. The planar or two-dimensional presentation of the licensed characters has now become so commonplace that two-dimensional images are not sufficiently distinctive for some marketing objectives.
Accordingly, three-dimensional character depictions to enhance marketing appeal for the backpack or book bag carrier products are now available. More particularly, promotion of certain tote bags and backpack carriers has been attempted by providing carriers having small three-dimensional Cabbage Patch Kids.RTM. licensed characters thereon. In order to promote the Cabbage Patch Kids.RTM. motif and these carrier bag products, the characteristic head and hair portion of the Cabbage Patch Kids.RTM. dolls was fashioned into a three-dimensional sculpture and physically applied to an outer facing surface of backpacks and tote bags. Typically, the projecting doll face and hair was affixed to the surface of the carrier bag by the use of adhesives or mechanical fasteners. The three-dimensional presentation of the doll's face projecting from the side surface of the carriers is a successful marketing approach to promoting carrier bags with licensed characters.
A major shortcoming of these bags with add-on three-dimensional characters is that the doll face mounted onto the bag projects outwardly in a manner which permits it to become tangled or dislodged in use. This is primarily due to applying the smaller doll face onto the larger bag surface providing a defined edge to the add-on character which enables it to become easily separated from the carrier either by mischievous hands or in the wear and tear of daily use.
In use, back-to-school backpack carriers often receive rough handling and treatment. They are repeatedly slung over the shoulder of school children and mashed against seat of the school bus or thrown against the side wall of the bus as a child sits in the bus seat. Frequently, they are thrown into school closets or on the floor as the child enters the home. Often the book bag carriers may be used as weapons to hit other school children or other items along the way in a pillow-fight fashion, by being swung by the handles or a hanger loop provided to hang the bag on a hook. The prior art three-dimensional doll face add-on structures are too easily dislodged or may cause pain and possible injury.
Backpacks including a cushioning inner back panel in the carrier body are generally known. The cushioning panels are typically placed on the inward facing back support surface of the carrier. For example, inserts for improving the comfort of a backpack carrier are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,108 to Ingram and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,447 to Achmeteli. The use of integrated or attachable rear foam panels is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,103 to Douglass and in Arakaki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,245. The use of a doll or character three-dimensional structure as the inward facing panel of a backpack carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,550 to O'Donnell. Each of the above-mentioned patents are primarily directed to providing a more comfortable backpack carrier by providing a softer inward facing panel. Little or no provision is made to protect the contents of the carrier from impact in use.
Accordingly, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art carriers, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved carrier including an integral or incorporated three-dimensional graphical display panel to provide a distinctive visual appearance for the outwardly facing panels of the carrier.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional graphical display panel forming an integral part of the construction of the carrier which will not become detached or disconnected from the body of the carrier in use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved book bag backpack carrier having a panel structure including impact resistant panels positioned in the carrier along points most likely to be impacted in use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved book bag backpack carrier incorporating a three-dimensional licensed character panel which simultaneously provides impact protection for the contents of the backpack in the normal course of wearing and use by a small school child.